Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers Pre-Match Thread

[Ian.]

The team I see him playing is

                                            Friedel
           
          L Young           Collins           Cuellar        Warnock

                                      Petrov

                       NRC                      Ireland
                                 
                                A young 

             Gabby   or    Carew  or  Heskey

[Ads]

I can see him bringing in NRC for Albrighton and switching Ashley out onto the wing, with Ireland playing where he should be in an advanced role and NRC providing us with somebody who can win the ball. It’s quite amazing out of the three cloggers we have played, two were able to bully us and one was not. It’s of no coincidence that we weren’t bullied by Stoke when NRC was on the pitch.

I think we'll see a strong team given its his first game.

[atomicjam]

2-1 Villa win. Gabby and Ashley.

[*shellac*]

Just bloody win the game/tie/match/whatever.

I don't fucking care about the scoreline/hairline/airline.

[Concrete John]

I'm expecting Gezza to start with a win.

Although if I'm honest I'm more interested in the team/formation he plays than anything else!

[Phil from the upper holte]

Decent crowd hopefully and a Villa win

2-1

[mozza]

Both Newcastle & Bolton bullied us and we dropped points ..............

Now I wonder what tactics Big Sam and Blackburn might use ?

There's no doubt they will be smarting from us knocking them out
of both cup competitions last season and will want revenge this
time around -

Surely if the new management team pick the side it's going to be
a strong one ( no Davies Beye etc,.)

I have an uneasy feeling about this match even though the
players and supporters should be 'up fot it'

A bruising encounter and 1-0 defeat I fear

[Ads]

With Delph not fit and Milner gone, then we need somebody with the physical presence and the ability to go box-to-box. NRC has to start. Stoke, the biggest bullies of the lot, couldn't bully us off the ball and we played round them for the most part- and NRC was excellent.

He has to feature I'm afraid, limitations on passing aside, he is the only player able to use his pace and presence to cover the back four. We cannot go on playing three wingers and Ireland. One of them has to give way for the sake of balance.

[Newquay_AVFC]

2-1 WIN. them to be 1 up at HT and a double from Carew in the second.

[PaulTheVillan]

With Delph not fit and Milner gone, then we need somebody with the physical presence and the ability to go box-to-box. NRC has to start. Stoke, the biggest bullies of the lot, couldn't bully us off the ball and we played round them for the most part- and NRC was excellent.

He has to feature I'm afraid, limitations on passing aside, he is the only player able to use his pace and presence to cover the back four. We cannot go on playing three wingers and Ireland. One of them has to give way for the sake of balance.

Against Stoke I thought NRC was superb, even his passing was good. Just his finishing let him down, but he isn't quite Essien just yet.

NRC just kept it simple, won the ball and passed it 10 yards to the nearest bloke. If he can keep that up then I think he could still be an asset to us.

He should start v Blackburn.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Both Newcastle & Bolton bullied us and we dropped points ..............

Now I wonder what tactics Big Sam and Blackburn might use ?

There's no doubt they will be smarting from us knocking them out
of both cup competitions last season and will want revenge this
time around -

Surely if the new management team pick the side it's going to be
a strong one ( no Davies Beye etc,.)

I have an uneasy feeling about this match even though the
players and supporters should be 'up fot it'

A bruising encounter and 1-0 defeat I fear

I`ll be more positive than our kid - I `ll go for a win on penalties !

Just decided to come down for this one - lets get behind the new management team and the squad. Again this could be our best chance of silverware this season - I hope that Houllier will see it that way too.

[Simon Ward]

Scrappy win I think!

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Long drawn out evening with extra time then losing on penalties watching two virtual reserve sides showing plenty of effort but no real talent in a half empty stadium. Then getting home very late with an early start the next morning because even though its a really low crowd we sit in the car on Aston Hall Road for what seems like an eternity because the bloody police having given up on any traffic control round there. Everybody tired and irate and getting in arguments with cars trying to come down the other way, because nobody has the good sense to employ a one way system for just 40 bloody minutes which would help all us get away quicker and clear the traffic so people who live round there can get back in quicker too. Bloody traffic, bloody police, overpaid bloody footballers, bloody cut backs and a total lack of common bloody sense of how to get a few thousand people out after watching a bloody awful game !

Thats my prediction for the evening anyway........up the villa.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Long drawn out evening with extra time then losing on penalties watching two virtual reserve sides showing plenty of effort but no real talent in a half empty stadium. Then getting home very late with an early start the next morning because even though its a really low crowd we sit in the car on Aston Hall Road for what seems like an eternity because the bloody police having given up on any traffic control round there. Everybody tired and irate and getting in arguments with cars trying to come down the other way, because nobody has the good sense to employ a one way system for just 40 bloody minutes which would help all us get away quicker and clear the traffic so people who live round there can get back in quicker too. Bloody traffic, bloody police, overpaid bloody footballers, bloody cut backs and a total lack of common bloody sense of how to get a few thousand people out after watching a bloody awful game !

Thats my prediction for the evening anyway........up the villa.

You have failed to mention the chaos prior to kick off as the ticket office is inundated with latecomers wishing to collect their tickets, resulting in a delayed kick off - (8.15pm) meaning that fans do not leave the stadium until 11.15pm. Local residents blocakade the exits as they are up in arms because the floodlights at that time at night means they can`t get to sleep. Police therefore diverted from traffic control duties to placate the angry residents and the 11,000 Villa fans (and 37 Blackburn fans) who are hurling insults like- "Why don`t you buy some decent curtains then !"

I have too much time on my hands

[VillaAlways]

OS says Dunne out and Ireland a doubt tomorrow-Dead leg in training this morning

Houllier likely to make several changes.Sorry can't do clicky thing